Programs by Country: Switzerland+ Traditional

The Survey of International Organizations (SIO), established in 2003, provides students with an overview of the goals, functioning and significance of key international organizations in today's fast changing global environment. The course examines the achievements and failures of some of the world's most important economic, political and humanitarian organizations from an interdisciplinary perspective. The SIO offers students an intellectually stimulating, innovative and diverse program of study in a safe environment, with maximum exposure to the cultural and political life of contemporary Switzerland, Europe and the world of international diplomacy.

The American College Program (ACP) is a study abroad program at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. The tradition of American students coming to Fribourg dates back more than 80 years. The ACP is one of the oldest study abroad programs available to American students and, since its inception, has hosted over 5000 participants.

The contemporary chemical industry owes its origins to pioneering research and development conducted in 18th century in Europe. Through the 19th and 20th century, chemistry was an enabling force in the development of commodity products spanning fabric dyes, paints, petrochemical products, plastics, explosives, narcotics, agrochemicals, and ultimately pharmaceuticals. From its origins in Germany and Switzerland, the industry has grown substantively to become a global industry with major activity in North America and Europe, with emerging activity in Asia, South America and Russia. This dialogue will give students a global perspective on the science underpinning contemporary drug discovery. As classic small molecule pharmaceuticals and being supplanted by next generation biopharmaceuticals, students will learn of the strategies corporations engage in to develop new product pipelines and the innovation engine which spawned the development of the biopharmaceutical industry. The dialogue will involve academic instruction in the chemistry of drug design, development and production coupled with exposure to industrial processes through a series of site visits in three countries. The dialogue will be initially based in Dublin, Ireland in the grounds of University College Dublin. The campus is adjacent to the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training [NIBRT], who will provide an overview of the steps involved in the manufacture of biopharmaceuticals. We will also visit a number of biotechnology corporations who have facilities in Ireland in the Cork / Waterford area. Participants will then travel to the UK and visit research and manufacturing sites in the Liverpool area. Finally the dialogue will travel to Basel, Switzerland where interactions with a number of multinational pharmaceutical corporations will be facilitated. Throughout the dialogue, students will engage on a directed study project related to the biopharmaceutical industry. A series of cultural experiences will be arranged in Ireland, the UK and Switzerland, including meetings with research students at regional Universities.